Viral sepsis-induced mortality of older patients infected by the Omicron subvariant BA.5 of SARS-CoV-2: a retrospective study
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The infection by the Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among the older population induced viral sepsis and put them at high risk of severity and mortality. METHODS: We retrospectively investigated 268 patients infected with the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 and hospitalized in two tertiary medical centers in Jiangsu Province, China, from December 2022 to January 2023, who met the Sepsis- 3 criteria. Patients were divided into the survivor (n = 111) and non-survivor (n = 157) groups, and their baseline clinical characteristics, including their demographic information, medical history, clinical manifestation, laboratory test results, arterial blood gas profiles and computed tomography (CT) patterns, were compared between the two groups to evaluate the risk factors for in-hospital death caused by viral sepsis. RESULTS: The median age of the patients hospitalized was 78.5 (IQR: 71.3-84.8), and 69.0% of them were male. 45.9% of the patients were aged ≥ 80 years. From illness onset to hospitalization the median length of time was 7 days, while the duration of hospitalization was 10.0 days (IQR: 6.0-20.8) and the stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) was 7.0 days (IQR: 4.0-14.0). The median cycle threshold (Ct) values for ORF1ab and N gene amplification were 30.3 and 29.2, respectively. Hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases prevailed in the patients' comorbidity list. After laboratory parameters, arterial blood gas exchange profiles, and radiological patterns were examined, a substantial impact of multiple organ dysfunctions induced by Omicron subvariant BA.5 infection was observed in both groups. As a result, the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score was significantly factorial in the in-hospital mortality of older patients with COVID-19 (a fatality rate of 58.6%), consistent with determinants in death from non-viral sepsis. CONCLUSION: With the Omicron subvariants having lower pathogenicity but higher transmissibility compared to pre-Omicron variant of concern (VOC), the older population remains the most vulnerable to COVID-19 infection, which could lead to sepsis and septic shock, highlighting the importance of timely booster vaccinations.
Source: BMC Infectious Diseases
Institutions: Jiangsu University, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,090
OpenAlex ID: W4409653008